Individuals who are hospitalized with an infection have a higher risk of death from suicide, especially if they have HIV or viral hepatitis. Publishing their findings in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers studied data on all individuals in Denmark age 15 and older between 1980 and 2011, for a study population of 7.2 million.

A total of 809,384 (11.2 percent) people were hospitalized with an infection during the study period. During the period analyzed 32,683 people committed suicide; of those 7,892 (24.1 percent) had been diagnosed with an infection when they were hospitalized.

After adjusting the data for various factors, the researchers found that compared with those who had not been diagnosed with an infection, people who were hospitalized with an infection had a 42 percent higher risk of death from suicide. Those who were hospitalized who had HIV and viral hepatitis had a respective 2.32- and 2.12-fold greater likelihood of death from suicide compared with those with no diagnosis of infection.

To read a press release about the study, click here.

To read the study, click here.